Recommendation 69

Alastair Sim, Director of Universities Scotland, told the Committee that the pandemic had also “been an incredibly difficult time for staff”.160 Dr Vicky Johnson stated that: [ … ] a lot of the senior management teams [ … ] are needing to spend a huge amount of time on protocols and how to deal with not only student isolation, but also staff are going above and beyond. You may notice, as we are looking more and more exhausted.161 Professor Katherine Smith, University of Strathclyde, also noted that academic staff did not have the training or qualifications to provide students with the mental health support they need.162 Government interventions